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(11e Medel.)

L. J. WADSWORTH. ADDRBSSING MACHINE.-

Ne. 467,319. Patented Jee. 19, 1892.

NITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

LESTER J. VADSWORTH, OF MARSHALL, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF n TOELIJAII BUCK, OF SAME PLACE.

ADDRESSINGHNIACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 467,319, dated January19, 1892.

Application filed March 27, 1891. Serial No. 386,724. (No model.)

am aware it has heretofore been the custom to moisten the gummed side ofthe paper before the address is cut from the strip, as described inLetters Patent to C. C. Doten, No. 206,303, dated July 23, 1878. I haveadopted the plan of wetting the article on which the address is to beplaced, and the gummed paper remains dry until it is pressed upon it,when the gum is softened by the moisture and secures the address to it.

My invention consists of the means whereby I accomplish this, and alsothat part of the device by means of which the paper bearing theaddresses is automatically fed out as each address is out olf.

In the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification,Figure l is a side elevation, partially in section, through Fig. 2. Fig.2 is a view of the front end, and Fig. 3 is a viewof the side oppositeto that of Fig. 1.

Like letters and ligures refer to the same parts in the several views.

I construct the body A of the machine of sheet metal. Within said bodyand back of the rollers it' is left a space A for water. This space Icall a reservoin and it is charged through the flaring tube F. A throaty from the reservoir passes beneath the rollers t' t' and terminates inan opening o in the bottom of the nr achine beneath the stationary bladeB of the shears. As shown in section, Fig. l, a wick shown by doublebroken line extends from the reservoir through the throat to the openingo. The Water is taken up by capillary attraction and by means of thewick is carried to the opening o. "Wool felt is thought best for thiswick. My experience shows that a more even feed is secured when thereservoir contains a sponge of nearly its own dimensions.

To moisten a spot on an article Where an address is to be placed, it isonly necessary to place the machine with the opening o on the spot andthe wick will impart the necessary moisture to cause the gummed paper toadhere. A strip of this gummed paper is shown in Fig. l at a a. Thefeed-rollers i i', between which this paper passes, have their bearingsin Ithe side of the body of the machine. The journals of the lowerroller extend through slots m,'Fig. 3, to receive the pressure from thespring k,which forces it upward, causing the paper to be held firmlybetween therollers, so that when the rollers are made to turn the paperis moved forward. Attached to the journal ofthe upper roller is aratchetfwheel 7, which is made to rotate by means of the pawl 4, carriedon the lever E. Said lever is actuated in one direction by the spring eand in the other by the motion imparted by the operatorto the movingblade c of the shears, as will be more fully explained. A head b isfitted to the upper portion of said lever. Attached to this head is atape or narrow band h, which runs over the pulley c and is secured tothe moving blade of the shears by link and staple. The position of thepulley c in reference to the moving blade is of much importance. As thespring e, acting through the leverE and tape h raises the blade againstthe pressure of the fingers of. the operator, the blade c is drawnslightly against the stationary blade B, thus materially assisting inthe cut, whereas if the pulley was directly above the blade thistendency would not appear.

The operation of the feed is as follows: Vhen the blade C is presseddown by the operator to detach the address on the protruding end of thegumlned strip a a, the upper end of the lever E is brought forward andthe pawl 4 drops into a notch in the wheel 7, and as the pressure isrelieved the spring acting upon the levercauses the rollers to turn asthe blade rises. The head b may be moved on the lever and its distancefrom the levers pivot changed, and thus regulate the amount of feed, asrequired, as when the head is near the pivot 011 which the lever turnsthe same motion of the blade C will cause the lever to move through agreater are.

To operate the machine, put only a small amount of Water in thereservoir, insert the strip of paper bearing the addresses between thefeeddollers, and, by means of the thumbwheel t, feed the strip forwarduntil the first address extends beyond the edge of the stationary knife.By pressing the machine gently upon the paper to be addressed a spot ismoistened by the Wick, as before described. Draw the machine back, andwhen the address is directly over the spot bring the blade down, and asthe address is sheared off the broad surface of the under side of theblade causes the address to be pressed upon the dampened paper. Theaction of the spring e causes the blade to rise, and also actuates thefeed-rolls, zo as before explained.

Postage stamps and gunnned labels may be used in the same manner.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent. is-

In an addressing-machine of the character described, the combination,with the movable cutting-blade and the standard D,l1aving the pulley c,of the rollers t' f1?, the bottom one of which is supported upon thespring 7.3, lever E, having the movable head b, said head beingconnected with the blade C by means of the cord 71, a pawl and ratchetlocated on said lever, and a spring e, connect-ing the lower end of thelever With the stationary blade, all combined and operating asdescribed.

LESTER J. TADSXVORTIL Witnesses:

H. E. PHELPs, S. H. LYNN.

